Water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (April 2022)

United Kingdom: Water and Sanitation
Data
Access to an improved water source	100% (2015)[1]
Access to improved sanitation	99% (2015)[1]
Continuity of supply (%)	100%
Average urban water use (l/c/d)	150
Average urban domestic water and sewer bill for 20m3	n/a
Share of household metering	33% (2008) [2]
Non-revenue water	20% (2010–2011) [3]
Share of collected wastewater treated	100%
Annual investment in WSS	n/a
Share of self-financing by utilities	n/a
Share of tax-financing	n/a
Share of external financing	n/a
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalities	No
National water and sanitation company	None
Water and sanitation regulator	Three regulators, one each for England/Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Responsibility for policy setting
Sector law	Water Industry Act 1991 (England & Wales) Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002 (Scotland) Water and Sewage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (Northern Ireland)
Number of service providers	28

Public water supply and sanitation in the United Kingdom are characterized by universal access and generally good service quality. Unlike many other developed countries, the United Kingdom features diverse institutional arrangements across its constituent parts: (England and Wales; Scotland; and Northern Ireland). In England and Wales, water services are primarily provided by privatized companies, while in Scotland and Northern Ireland, these services are managed by publicly owned entities. Each region's unique approach is explored in separate articles, while this article is devoted to some common issues across the United Kingdom.